Christmas Dinner with English Flair and Flavor

by saw pan

Christmas dinner in England is by far the most important meal of the year. There are family, as well as national traditions to adhere to, certain English Christmas dinner, pies and pudding recipes that have been handed down to us from each previous generation. Every family and new generation has tweaked and molded their own recipes, perfecting them to make each unique and special. I would like to share three of my own with you.

1. Plum Pudding (originated in the 17th Century) The Victorians started the tradition of placing a silver coin in the batter to be baked, it was then considered lucky for whoever found it.

You will need;

10 Slices white bread

1 cup scalded milk

4 eggs- separated

1 cup raisins – floured

1/3 cup currants

½ cup dried figs – chopped

3 tbsp chopped citron

½ cup baker’s sugar

¾ finely chopped suet

1 sm glass brandy

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

¼ tsp mace

1 tsp salt

To make;

Butter a 2-quart pudding mold with a tight lid. Heat water in a pot, large enough to hold the mold. Crumble up the bread, and soak it in the hot milk, let this cool, then add the sugar, the beaten egg yolks, raisins, currants, figs and citron. Mash the suet with a fork until it is creamy. Add the crumb/fruit mixture, and then stir in the brandy, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, mace, and salt. Beat until blended. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff. Stir a third of the egg whites into the pudding mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites. Spoon the mixture into the mold and cover with tight lid. Place in the pot for steaming, steam for 6 hours. Water in the pot should be halfway up pudding mold, the water should bubble gently, add more water when ever necessary. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before unmolding.

2. Sausage bacon wraps (makes 24. A side dish to be served with main dinner) in my experience these are always the first to disappear and make for a perfect English Christmas dinner.

You will need;

1 packet small breakfast sausages

1 packet of thin cut bacon

1 cup dried apricots

1tsp nutmeg

To make;

With a pair of scissors cut the sausages and bacon in half the make double the number. Slice the apricots along their crease and open up each one like butterfly wings. Sprinkle the nutmeg on the apricots. Wrap one apricot around each sausage, and then wrap each one up in a strip of bacon. Spread out on a baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm with Christmas dinner.

3. Mince Pies (makes 12) Best served warm to bring out the flavor of the spices, can be served with almond cream (crème fraiche and 3tbsp of Amaretto)

You will need;

(Pastry)

8oz plain flour

5oz butter

2tbsp baking sugar

1 egg

(The filling)

10oz dried mixed fruit – raisins, currants and sultanas

2 eating apples

4oz dried prunes

4oz walnuts

2 tbsp apricot jam

1 tbsp brown sugar

1tsp mixed spice

Rind and juice of 1 lemon

1 sm glass of brandy or rum

To make;

Pastry – put flour in a bowl, add butter chunks, and rub with fingertips until mixture looks like bread crumbs. Add the sugar. Beat the egg then add. Mix to form dough. Chill for 30 minutes. Filling – put fried fruit in a bowl. Peel, core and cube the apples, prunes and walnuts, add to fruit. Add all remaining filling ingredients. Roll out half the pastry on a lightly floured surface, cut into 12 3inch circles (use a large glass). Roll out remaining pastry and cut into 12 21/2 inch circles (use smaller glass). Preheat oven 400 degrees F. Grease a 12 hole cupcake tin, line each one with the 3inch dough circles. Fill each one with 2-3 tsp of mincemeat filling. Dampen around the pastry edges and press smaller rounds over the top to cover. Glaze with beaten egg yolk and bake for 25 minutes until light brown. Sprinkle with baker’s sugar and allow to cool.